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Vomit Dog

"Vomit dog is usually caused by diet, something your pet swallowed, parasites or an imbalance in electrolytes.
Treatment depends on teh cause of the condition including dietary change or medication."

Vomit dog can be scary when it happens. It’s not always cause for alarm, however. It depends on the extent of the vomiting and the type of the vomit.

If you notice your dog vomiting blood (called hematemesis) then the cause is either temporary such as if your dog ate something he or she shouldn't which is causing irritating to the gastrointestinal tract or something systemic where there is a problem with the gastrointestinal tract that requires a thorough examination.

Vomit Dog Symptoms

Dogs vomit a variety of things and ways. It may be undigested dog food. It may be partially digested, unidentifiable matter. It may be mostly liquid. It may be various colors. Take note of what the vomit looks like. If you take your dog to the vet, he or she will want to know that information.

If your dog vomits once or twice, there is usually no reason to run to the vet. An exception is if your dog appears to be vomiting blood. If the vomit appears to have bright red fresh blood in it, or if it looks like coffee grounds (that means it has blood from inside the digestive tract in it), go to the vet.

If your dog vomits multiple times, however, and seems unable to keep anything down, including fluids, a trip to the vet is warranted.

Vomit Dog Diagnosis

Your veterinarian will check to see if your dog is running a fever. They will thenpalpate your dog’s abdomen to check the internal organs. He or she may do an x-ray to make sure your dog has not swallowed any foreign objects.

Vomit Due to Dietary Problems - Your dog may have food allergies or sensitivities to the food he has been eating. You may need to switch him to a different diet. Hills Science Diet and Iams both make dog foods especially for dogs with sensitive stomachs. If you have been feeding your dog people food, that may be the problems.

Gastro-intestinal parasites - Your vet can test for these by examining a stool sample. Bring a sample with you to the vet if you can.

Electrolyte (chemical) imbalance - This may be the cause of the vomitting, or it may be caused by dehydration due to the vomiting. Your vet can test for that by doing a blood test.

Vomit Dog Treatment

If your dog is dehydrated, which he probably is if he has been vomiting very much, your vet will likely give him subcutaneous fluids. This is similar to an IV, except instead of a needle going into a vein, the needle just goes under your pet’s skin. You’ll see a bulge there for a bit until the fluid is fully absorbed.

If intestinal parasites are the cause there are prescription medications to treat the condition.

An electrolyte imbalance may be corrected by rehydrating your dog, or your dog may need to be rehydrated with a special fluid containing electrolytes.

If your dog has been unable to keep food down, you should withhold food for twenty-four hours. Keep fresh water available. After twenty-four hours, offer a bland diet to your dog. The Hills Science Diet or Iams for sensitive stomachs mentioned earlier are good choices. Introduce small amounts of food at a time until you see that your dog is able to tolerate the food.

Sources:

The Vomiting Dog – Diagnosis
Tams, Todd R. DVM

Help, My Dog is Vomiting
Homfray, Matthew

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